Some of the cadets had in a trending video lamented that they were homeless and starving over neglect and nonpayment of their allowances by the NIMASA authorities, which made it impossible for them to renew their house rents, procure their visas and other expenses.
The National Association of Nigerian Students has condemned the alleged neglect and non-payment of allowances of cadets of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) in Philippines for their Certificate of Competency (CoC).
Some of the cadets had in a trending video lamented that they were homeless and starving over neglect and nonpayment of their allowances by the NIMASA authorities, which made it impossible for them to renew their house rents, procure their visas and other expenses.
One of the cadets in the trending video, who took pain to narrative their ordeal in the Philippines, had said, “We were sent to the Philippines to study Marine Engineer and Maritime Transportation under the Nigeria Seafarers Development Programme for four years but it is ten years down the line.
“I have wasted ten years of my life here and same goes to my colleagues now we are in the last lapse of the programme yet the embassy has refused us.”
Reacting, NANS Vice President, Akinteye Babatunde, gave the NIMASA authorities 72 hours to address the grievances and demands of the cadets.
The statement read, “The attention of the Office of the NANS National Vice President - External Affairs has been drawn to the video in circulation showing the illegal denial of Cadets of the Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency (NIMASA) on the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) in the Philippines for their Certificate of Competency (CoC) who were barred to engage the Embassy in Manila.
“We are saddened by the appearance which depicts that they haven't been in good living conditions abroad coupled with the fact that they've been forced to underutilize over 5 years of their youth due to the abandonment of their responsibility by the Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency (NIMASA).
“It's a show of shame and a great public disgrace that federal government sponsored students are maltreated, abandoned and victimized in such a manner that they had to resort to a public show of displeasure against their sponsors. The video also emphasized that the students on scholarship has used 10 years in Philippines for a course with a duration of 4 years, wasting away 6 years of their youth.
“The entire Nigeria students frantically frowns in displeasure at the NIMASA executives led by Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR, over the total neglect of students and children in a foreign man's land, far away from home. It shows the extreme nature of the irresponsibility of the Dr. Bashir Jamoh-led administration of NIMASA towards the faithful discharge of their abilities.
“It became more insulting and embarrassing when the embittered students who in their legal right decided to stage a protest at the embassy, the embassy officials and security denied the students entry to their embassy. We, on this note, ask the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, to call the country's Ambassador to Philippines to order.
“We also demand NIMASA facilitate in no more than 72hours, for a proactive measure to ensure the quick completion of their sponsored program and a better stay of living else the NIMASA should expect a face down action by the entire students in the country. This show of madness has to come to an end.
“Whilst we have made our demands made to the NIMASA and are working relentlessly on justice for our fellow students in diaspora, we appeal to all affected students in diaspora to be of good conduct at all times and be good ambassadors of our dear nation as the national leadership of the association are relentlessly working round the clock to ensure our demands are met.”